Joe Biden has muddled the Ukrainian city of Kherson with the Iraqi city of Fallujah in his latest on-air gaffe.
The 79-year-old’s mix-up came as he discussed the results of America’s midterm elections with reporters gathered at the White House on Wednesday night.
News broke on Wednesday evening that the Russian military has been ordered to pull out of Kherson - the only regional capital it has captured since invading Ukraine in February - marking a major setback for the Kremlin.
Responding to a reporter’s question about Russia’s withdrawal, Mr Biden said: “I think the context is that...whether or not they’re pulling back from Fallujah.”
Realising his mistake, he added: “I mean from the...the...Kherson...the city of Kherson...and they’re coming back across the river to the eastern side of the river, the Russian forces.”
He went on to say he believes both sides of the conflict will “lick their wounds” before deciding “what they’re going to do over the winter, and decide whether or not they’re going to compromise”.
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, about 70km west of the country’s capital, Baghdad.
Mr Biden has publicly muddled Ukraine and Iraq several times since Russia’s war broke out, drawing criticism including from Americans for whom the Iraq War, which ended in 2011 and saw thousands of US soldiers die, is still a raw memory.
Last week, while campaigning in Florida ahead of the midterm elections, he referred to “the war in Iraq an the impact on oil” before adding “excuse me - the war in Ukraine”.
Mr Biden’s most recent gaffe has attracted criticism on social media, where users have called it a “trainwreck” and “embarrassing”.
Others defended the president. Lori Kimble said: “We all mis-speak from time to time. Focusing on one slip-up in over an hour worth of material is a disservice.”
Another said: “And he caught himself. So what? He clearly knew the military situation he was talking about.”
